Accelerator



March 6, 1928.

s. A. KEEFER ACCELERATOR Filed Jan.2 8. 1927 Patented Mar. 6, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,661,371 PATENT OFFICE.

SYLVESTER- A. KEEPER, or M C E T crme s s eN Ii N -TH BD'I JAMES A; JOHNSON AND ONE-THIRD 'ro CLARENCE 1v. wIsnoM, BOTH or MAN- cnnsrnn, GEORGIA.

ACCELERATOR.

Application filed January 28, 1927. Serial No.'164,'252.

The present invention relates to improvements in accelerators for use 1n connection with internal combustion or other vehicle engines, whereby the throttle valve or valve controlling theactive medium to the engine is opened and closed.

An object oft-lie invent-ion is to provide a foot accelerator so constructed and mounted :as to provide, in addition, a foot rest-to enable the operator .to drive withease and at the same time feed the fuel mixturemore evenly While avoidingthe rocking of the,

accelerator incident to jostling. of the occupant whengoingover rough places.

Another objectv of the invention 1s to provide a simple and inexpensive accelerator structure which will 'afl'ord greater leverage to, the foot, smoother acceleration, and easler and more restful operation. With the foregoing and other obgects 1n view, the invention will be more fully described hereinaftenand Wlll be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto,

In the drawings, wherein l ke symbols refercto like or corresponding partsthroughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a vertical section taken through the floor boardaof a, motor vehicle showing the improved accelerator. installed thereon.

Figure 2. is a section taken on the line 22 inFigure 1; and

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 in Figur .2-

i Referring more, particularly to the drawings, the vehicle floor and toe board is indicated generally at L and in accordance with the present invention, it 'onlybecomes neces- 3 make an elongatednarrow slot 5 in the toe board or inclined portion of the foot board to receive the shank 6. of the acceleratorlever. The endsof theslot. 5 are preii erably inclined in opposite directions, as indicated at 7 and 8, the end Walls converging toward the driver. This formation is im: parted witha view topermitting the pivot poin .9 9f he accelerator to be located well toward the dri-yefs side of, the toe board.

This piyotpoint. .9 is, in fact, located a sub.-

stantial distance inwardly at the plane of the inner-surfaced the inclined toe board, and

the accelerator structure, which is generally.

conform more generally than is now done tothe positions of the brake and clutch pedals. p i

The accelerator comprises the. two seg mental plates .10 and '11, the centralp01' tionsofwhich are mounted upon opposite ends of the pivot bolt 9. ".This pivot bolt is mounted in the inwardly extending ears 12 and 1.3 ofthe bracket plate 14. This plate 14 is fiat to enableit to lie against the inner surface of theltoeboard to .Which it is seecured, as by the nails, screws, or other fasten ings 15.

upwardly at substantially right angles there from andhaving the upper edges 'tapered or rounded as indicated at 16 in Figure; .3. This formation will impart considerable heigh-t;to the intermediate portions of the ears which support the ivot bolt 9 at a relatively high -po si-tion, rom the toe board, but. render the end portions of the ears as unobtrusive impossible, however, still re- The cars "12 and 13 are preferably 1n one piece with the plate 14 being bent taining the angled construction to the ends of the plate 1e Wherebyto strengthen this plate and also strengthen the'ears throughout the entire length to the end thatthe samemay be prevented from longitudinal distortion 01"l2tl16l21-l jostling. vThe acceleratoris intended to receivevthe Weight of the foot at all times. and this weight will devolve through the bolt 9 upon the ears, so that the reinforced construction is desirable.

V The outer rim portions of the segmental plates 10 and 11 are initially provided with a. number of openings to receive the endsfof the studs. 17, which extend'from the arcuate foot plate 18; The outer ends ofthe studs 17 are offset against the outer facesfofthe side segmental plates 10 and 11 as shown in Figure 2, vvhe-reby to bind these segmental plates to the arcuate foot plate 18. This foot plate extendsthroughont the circumferential lengths of the side plates 10 and 11 in contacttherjewitli torein-force the entire accelerate-r structure. v v

Theplgliew itself. may be roughened, but it is. preferablyprovided with i a rubber-mat 19, having a suitable roughened 't'readto pie; vent slipping of the footijThis matii's caught between the upwardly folded extension ends 20 and'21 "ofjthe foot platev 18 These ends are folded over i1 on the ends of the mat L9 ahdclampea 'firrii thereupon;

The mat may also be held l an adhesive, if desired.

The shank (l is preferably made in one piece with one ol the. side segmental plates it), this shank extending substantially diametrically oppositev the center of the foot. accelerator. The shanl; (3 is bent laterally in a sweeping curve. as indicated at. 22 in Figure 2, and the terminal end :23 is turned down from the lower end ot the curved portion 22 and pcrtorattnl to receive the pin 2t by which the lever is coupled with a link 25 extending to the throttle control. The pin 2% may be formed by bending the end oi the link 25 at right angles and inserting it through the opening in the terminal end lug 23. The pivot point 9 of the accelerator is located remote from the point of application of the accelerator pedal force, namely, from the pin 2-1 and consequently a slight movement in the accelerator will cause a relatively great movement in the throttle control. The foot therefore need only move a short distance in order to obtain the desired result, and quick acceleration may be had.

Moreover, the major parts are above the floor boards, which greatly simplifies the installation in that it is only necessary to cut a small slot through floor boards with the further result that there is no material weakening of such floor boards. The lever arm 6 can be readily offset under the floor boards to comply with the limited space under floor boards of presentday automobile construction, and the construction 01": this projecting lever arm 6 readily lends itself to adoption in connection with numerous carburetor controls. The construction and inclined position of the accelerator provides a more restful position for the drivers foot. The construction may be of light material and the design is simple, the major parts being above l'loor boards to permit ready access to same for oiling and. inspection. The ratios of leverage are more equally divided, giving a smooth acceleration.

In use, the foot rests directly upon the mat. or upon the foot plate 18 and the rounded accelerator will conform to the instep, although any portion of the foot may be placed thereupon, it being understood that the entire tootv is supported by the accelerator, the pivot point 9 being located cent-rally with the accomplishment of this object in view, whereby the weight of the foot may be received radially upon this pin 5) without requiring that the sustaining of the Weight shall exert any moment in turning the accelerator about its center. Simply by shifting the weight, the accelerator may be brought down and by a slight upward pressure of the foot, the accelerator may be moved in the opposite direction.

The diametrically opposite position of the operating lever is also important, in that the transmission of the foot thrust force, is more direct, the accelerator better balanced and a construction more rigid and strong is provided.

The side segmental plates in and It envelop the cars 12 and 13; ot the bracket plate ll and the accelerator tructnrc, whi h is hollow within, is prevented t'rom collapse by the presence of the cars 12 and 13 without retpiiring any further (outlet-lion at the central part of the accelerator structure. Moreover, the bearing of the plates 1t! and 11 upon the outer faces of the cars 12 and ill will guide the plates in true planes of movement and this is important in avoiding any twisting in the lever arm (3, which might tend to diminish the throw ot the link :25. This linlc 25 operates in the same plane or in a plane parallel with the edge plane oi the lever (i and consequently any stresses are transmitted to the lever arm (5 in its more resistant edge plane. Moreover, these stresses are more adequately taken care of in view of the curved portion 22, which curved portion further stiti'ens the lever arm and avoids its being distorted.

It will be obvious that many changes in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts could be made, which could be used without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do not mean to limit the invention to such details, except as particularly pointed out in the claims.

laving thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters l,atent of the United States is:--

1. An improved accelerator comprising in (lOlTllJlllEltlOll with a slotted vehicle floor board, an accelerator pedal composed oi side segmental plates and an arcuate 'l'oot, plate connected therebetween, a bracket: plate secured to the floor board having upstanding ears tor fitting between and against the central portions of the side segmental plates, a pivot bolt extending through said ears and through the side segmental plates, and a lever arm extending from one oi. the plates for attachment to the carburetor control and lying through the slot in the floor board.

2. An improved accelerator comprising in combination with a slotted vehicle floor board, a pair of side segmental plates, an arcuate foot plate having stmls extended through the side plates and upset upon the outer faces of the lateral, means for pivoting said side plates with the pivot point spared above the plane of the upper surface of the floor board, a roughened mat carried by said areuate foot plate, the ends of said foot plate being overturned and clenched upon said mat, and means for connecting one of the side segmental plates with the throttle control.

SYLVESTER A. KEEFER. 

